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Watch a DayZ player demonstrate how to be a 'better class of criminal'

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 12:00p 01.05.14

A video from YouTube user Joab Gilroy proves that while Arma 2 mod DayZ can be an unforgiving game for its newest players, not everyone will leave you for dead. Calling himself a "gentleman bandit," Gilroy accosts a new and unsuspecting player. Instead of killing the player on sight, however, Gilroy orders him to put his hands up and marches him into a corner. After raiding the player's backpack, Gilroy takes a valuable item, but leaves a little something as a replacement. "It's weird that Bandit now means ‘someone who kills on sight' when it's really just an armed robber," the video says. "Chernarus deserves a better class of criminal. And I'm going to give it to them." Watch the video above to see the surprisingly gentle robbery go down.

The Besties Game of the Year 2013 Video Special - Part 2

By Chris Plante on Dec 30, 2013 12.30.13

  • The Besties Game of the Year 2013 Video Special - Part 1 (and Secret Santa!)

  • Cooperatives: Ryse Son of Rome

  • Sam Lake on Alan Wake 2, Quantum Break and innovation in narrative

  • Super Mario 3D World video review

  • Xbox One - Video Review

  • Watch us walk you through the Xbox One's UI

  • Resogun video review

  • Knack video review

  • PlayStation 4 video review

  • Here's what you'll find inside the PlayStation 4 retail box

  • Watch eight hours of Battlefield 4 in five and a half minutes

  • DualShock 4: Hands-on with the best Sony controller yet

  • The Good Fight: Operation Supply Drop

  • Xbox One vs. PS4 deathmatch: A Cooperatives Black Friday spectacular

  • Dead Rising 3 video review

  • Forza 5 video review.

  • Xbox One controller vs. the PS4 controller

  • One of the first official iOS controllers sets a low bar for the competition

  • Killzone: Shadow Fall video review

  • Contrast video review

  • Mark Cerny on designing PS4, directing Knack, creating next-gen

  • Call of Duty: Ghosts video review

  • Android to Xbox 360: What can the PS4's DualShock 4 control?

News
1 Comment

Zynga 'testing expanded payment options' with Bitcoin

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 11:00a 01.05.14

Zynga is "conducting a Bitcoin test" to further expand its payment options for seven games, the company recently announced via Reddit's Bitcoin subreddit. Bitcoin is a virtual currency created in 2009. According to the post, the test is a "response to Bitcoin's rise in popularity around the world." Affected titles are available through Zynga's website and include FarmVille 2, CastleVille 2, ChefVille, CoasterVille, Hidden Chronicles, Hidden Shadows and CityVille. The currency is being tested through Bitpay. For more on Bitcoin, check out our feature about the search for the currency's creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.
News
6 Comments

Steam Family Sharing adds two-factor authorization, lender approval

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 10:00a 01.05.14

Valve's program for friends and family members, Steam Family Sharing, will now require users to identify those allowed to access shared games on shared computers, the company announced via Steam. According to the post, the change will give lenders more control of the program, as well as reduce risk of bans as a result of unknown users accessing a shared machine. Up to ten accounts can be authorized to use a shared library, once they've been identified by the lender. "Any of these ten users may log into any of your ten authorized machines to access and play your shared games," the post reads. "Additionally, users may still request access to your shared library by sending you a request from any machine where you've installed games." Steam Family Sharing was announced in September. The...
Opinion
90 Comments

Unfinished, unfair and brutally difficult: What developers should steal from DayZ

By Ben Kuchera on Jan 02, 2014 01.02.14

The game still tops the best-sellers list on Steam in fact, beating out popular, less expensive games and big-name franchises that have been offered with massive discounts in the previous weeks. I’ve been playing the game with some friends and it’s an interesting beast. DayZ is now at version 0.3 or so, and is clearly unfinished. In some ways it’s barely working: Your axe will often make gunshot noises, zombies can clip through the floor, and the game can feel unresponsive and hard to play. It’s not a welcoming experience. I was addicted within hours. The success of DayZ mirrors the success of Minecraft in many ways, although the games may not seem similar at first blush. Minecraft has spawned a small army of imitators, some of which are quite good, but no other game...
Deals
2 Comments

Bundle Stars offering 10 winners $500 worth of Steam games

By Megan Farokhmanesh at 9:00a 01.05.14

Bundle Stars is currently holding a giveaway that will grant 10 winners $500 worth of Steam games, the site announced. Winners will receive titles such as Alan Wake Collector's Edition, Crusader Kings 2, Europa Universalis 4 and Painkiller: Hell and Damnation Collector's Edition. To enter, contestants can follow Bundle Stars on its various social networking sites. For the full list of games and rules, check out Bundle Stars. The contest runs for one more week.
News
4 Comments

Detective Grimoire launches for mobile devices, PC

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

SFB Games and Armor Games' mystery adventure title, Detective Grimoire, is now available for iOS, Android and PC. Detective Grimoire was funded via Kickstarter in August 2012 after collecting $29,611 with the help of 2,009 backers. The game, described as a mix of Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright, sets players on the hunt for a murderer. Players will interrogate suspects, solve puzzles and search for clues while trying to uncover the secrets of a strange swamp. For more on the game's premise, watch the trailer above. Detective Grimoire is available via the iTunes App Store and Google Play for $3.99. A Linux, Mac or Windows PC version is priced at $6.99 through the game's website, along with its soundtrack for $4.
StoryStream

The burn out of Criterion Games: What’s happening at one of the industry’s best studios

By Brian Crecente on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

News
5 Comments

AI game designer creates Ludum Dare entry To That Sect

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Ludum Dare 28 entry To That Sect is odd, unsettling and, most importantly of all, made by an artificial intelligence game designer called Angelina. The creation of PhD researcher Mike Cook, Angelina crafts games built on simple concepts. When it came to Ludum Dare 28's theme of "You Only Get One," Angelina developed a game about a disgruntled child, or a founder. "The game only has one level, and the objective is to reach the exit (the yellow cylinder)," the description, which was written by Angelina, reads. "Along the way, you must avoid the Tomb as they kill you, and collect the Ship. "I use some sound effects from FreeSound, like the sound of Ship. Using Google and a tool called Metaphor Magnet, I discovered that people feel charmed by Founder sometimes. So I chose a unnerving...
News
8 Comments

Classic cartoon-inspired game Cuphead heading to PC in 2014

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Cuphead, a run-and-gun game from StudioMDHR inspired by 1930s-era cartoons, will launch for Windows PC in late 2014, Joystiq reports. In Cuphead, players take control of the titular character or his friend Mugman while traveling the game's world. After Cuphead loses a bet to the devil, he must find a way to repay his debts. During an interview with Joystiq, co-creator Chad Moldenhauer said StudioMDHR wanted to avoid the "classic save the world/princess" theme. "This is why it is about Cuphead's deep-seated inability to stay out of trouble versus a hero destined to overcome a pre-existing obstacle," Moldenhauer said. "Even though he creates his own problems you can't help but root for his success." Cuphead features co-op or single-player features, as well as visuals and audio inspired...
News
3 Comments

Crytek, Insomniac and Sunstone Games to hold GDC 2014 talks

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Developers Crytek, Insomniac Games and Sunstone Games will hold sessions covering technical tips, Kickstarter advice and coding information during GDC 2014, Gamasutra reports. Crytek developer and Ryse: Son of Rome senior rendering engineer Nicolas Schulz will deliver a talk called "Moving to the Next Generation: The Rendering Technology of Ryse." During this talk, Schulz will touch on practical advice for rendering in-game faces and more. Sunstone Games founder, Simon Strange, is slated to cover Kickstarter funding and how to use the platform to build communities. "Kickstarting Your Company, Your Game and You Community" will draw on the developer's experience with its most recent project, Colossal Kaiju Combat. During "Code ER: Let's Bring Some Code Back from the Dead," Insomniac...
Culture
9 Comments

Metal Gear RAY figure now available for pre-order

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Toy and entertainment company 3A will release a new figure modeled after Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty's Metal Gear RAY. Priced at $490, Metal Gear RAY is approximately 16.5 inches tall and has a wing span of about 38.6 inches. The figure comes with a base required for standing and features illuminated eyes, which require a battery. Those who order the figure will also receive Liquid Ocelot, a 3-centimeter figure that sits inside Metal Gear RAY. The figure is currently available for pre-order through Bambaland. Metal Gear RAY is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2014.
News
7 Comments

Skrillex Quest creator releases Continue?9876543210 for Steam

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Greenlit action-adventure game Continue?9876543210 is now available via Steam for Linux, Mac and Windows PC. Continue? is the latest title from indie developer Jason Oda, creator of Skrillex Quest and The Perfect Strangers. Players assume the role of a "dead, failed video game character" left to wander in search of peace. By traveling to different towns and collecting lightning and prayers, players can move forward and build shelters to avoid being deleted forever. Characters and stages are randomly assigned. According to the game's description, it's a title for "fans of cerebral games such as Gone Home, The Novelist and Papers, Please. "The real story is that Continue? is an existential metaphor that explores the finite nature of existence and the beauty and tyranny of our desires...
Video
5 Comments

The Witch and the Hundred Knight video offers a look at gameplay

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

A new video posted by All Games Beta features a brief look at gameplay for Nippon Ichi Software's action role-playing game, The Witch and the Hundred Knight. The video, which you can watch above, features a player in battle. The brief clip also demonstrates looting around the game's world. Originally released in Japan during 2012, the game tells the story of two witches locked in a war for dominance. Players assume the role of one of a hundred legendary knights heading into battle. The Witch and the Hundred Knight is slated for launch on PlayStation 3 March 25, 2014. The game will be released in Europe March 21.
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What Microsoft says it can learn from Sony

By Megan Farokhmanesh on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Sony's commitment to franchises and developers of "new things and creative things" is an attribute that Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer admires, according to a recent interview with OXM. Spencer pointed to Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls developer Quantic Dream as an example and praised the company's dedication to franchises that aren't necessarily blockbuster sellers. "I think that long-term commitment to franchises is important, where it's easy to pull off the Band-Aid and move onto the next thing [if it doesn't sell]," Spencer said. "I respect their 'stick-to-it-iveness'. "I'll say, they've done a nice job with PS4 [...] When I think about their announcement, their clear focus on a customer, leading with the value proposition of what they're trying to...
News
3 Comments

Blizzard updating parental controls to restrict in-game purchases by default

By Michael McWhertor on Jan 04, 2014 01.04.14

Blizzard Entertainment plans to roll out a change to the way it handles parental controls on Battle.net starting next week by preventing in-game purchases by default. Battle.net accounts with parental controls enabled will not be able to make purchases in the World of Warcraft in-game shop, make real-money purchases in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft or make purchases in Diablo 3's real-money auction house (which will close on March 18). "We're making this change to ensure that Parental Controls users will have more control over real-money purchases in Blizzard games," the company wrote in an email scheduled to go out to account holders with parental controls enabled. "No action is needed to keep this default setting and prevent in-game purchases." The change is expected to go...
News
23 Comments

Faceless rethinks free-to-play decision after Greenlight win

By Colin Campbell on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

When Half-Life 2 horror mod Faceless was pitched to Greenlight, the game was described as a free-to-play title. But now it's been voted into the hallowed realm of Steam, plans are afoot to give the Slenderman-inspired game a $9.99 price tag. What gives? According to Faceless' creative director Adam Sklar, the suggestion to try to raise revenues from the game came from Valve, followed by a decision by the development team that the money could be used to improve the game. In an interview with Indie Statik he said that the success of other indie games, offered commercially, had prompted the change. Although multiplayer options and bonus content will be part of the $9.99 package, a core part of the game will still be free. "We will be shipping out a free version of Faceless with the Hyde...

Feature

Max Temkin: Against Humanity

by Charlie Hall

Feature

The hard road to Always Sometimes Monsters

by Colin Campbell

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Polygon Off-Topic Weekender: Week 1 of 52 (4-5 Jan)

in Off-topic by Shaun McIlroy

Anime, Cartoons, Comics! Plight Vol. 1, No. 12: We wish you a merry Crisis. We wish you a merry Crisis. We wish you a merry Crisis. And a happy New 52!

in Off-topic by zombie711

Ben Kuchera, joining Polygon as Senior Editor, Opinion

in Meta by Ben Kuchera

More Pokémon Discussions: Redux

in Pokemon X/Pokemon Y by Cobaltios

Post your Polygon Daily/Weekender headers here (January 2014)

in Off-topic by Shaun McIlroy

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Homestuck creator details, debunks conjecture on Adventure Game

By Dave Tach on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Homestuck webcomic creator Andrew Hussie took to the Homestuck Adventure Game's Kickstarter blog this week to squash some rumors and reveal some details about the upcoming game. Hussie explained the relative lack of updates since the Kickstarter was successfully funded as his attempt to "avoid spoiling stuff as much as possible" before performing "some selective debunking" of rumors. Homestuck Adventure Game will not allow players to "design or customize characters," and will instead include a "hard wired cast of protagonists." It will be a single-player game and will not include any voice acting, according to Hussie. "VA in this game sounds like a can of worms to me, and too easy to do badly," he wrote. "I'm personally not that big on VA in games like this anyway. I think it'll be a...
News
2 Comments

Trojan targeting World of Warcraft accounts identified as fake Curse software

By Michael McWhertor on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

The malware targeting World of Warcraft user accounts that Blizzard warned players of earlier this week has been identified as a fake version of the Curse Client, the add-on management application, according to an update from Blizzard support. The trojan is reportedly built in a working, but malicious version of the Curse Client that can be downloaded from a fake version of the Curse website, Blizzard's update explained. The company's support team recommends that affected World of Warcraft players delete the fake Curse Client and scan their systems with free anti-malware program Malwarebytes. Furthermore, "most security programs should be able to identify this threat shortly," a Blizzard rep wrote. Instructions on how to address a compromised account are available here. On Thursday,...
News
12 Comments

Rekoil hits PC on Jan. 28, XBLA on Jan. 29 as Rekoil: Liberator

By Samit Sarkar on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Plastic Piranha's Rekoil will be released Jan. 28 on Windows PC via Steam, and it will be available Jan. 29 on the Xbox Games Store as Rekoil: Liberator (screenshot above), publisher 505 Games confirmed to Polygon today. Rekoil was originally in development on PC before 505 Games announced an XBLA version last July and said that it would be publishing both versions of the game. According to 505 Games, Rekoil and Rekoil: Liberator will each cost $14.99, although Steam pre-order customers get a 30 percent discount to $10.49. Both Rekoil and Rekoil: Liberator will offer class-based first-person shooting with 40 weapons across seven modes on 10 maps. A 505 Games rep told Polygon that the XBLA version "is different in that it does not support mod tools and/or eSports the way the PC version...
News
2 Comments

Anki Drive gets a software update for the real world

By Dave Tach on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Anki Drive received an app update recently that brought new upgrades, support items and weapons to the real world video game that uses iOS devices to control miniature cars. The software update brings new racing options to the track like Reverse Drive, which allows cars to make 180 degree turns, and Kinetic Break, which allows cars to come to a dead stop. The new EMP weapon will provide virtual damage to other racers as you pass. "Because Drive is software-based, we can evolve the gameplay throughout the life of the game, to keep it fun and engaging — no matter how long you've been playing," a post on the official Anki blog reads. For more on Anki's real life video game, be sure to check out our interview with Boris Sofman and our hands-on impressions of the Anki Drive hardware and...
Opinion
29 Comments

Duet is my game of the year (and why minimalist games are often ignored in these lists)

By Ben Kuchera on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

No matter how simple you find the graphics or how basic the mechanics, if you are having fun playing a game, someone or a series of someones spent an unreasonable amount of time planning, designing and tweaking it to make sure that fun took place. But are critics biased toward scope and complexity? I think so. Games like Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag seem to be designed for Game of the Year awards. They are beautiful, they are huge and they take days, if not weeks or months, of play to see everything. They seem to be the promise of modern gaming: Dozens of systems working together in concert to awe you in terms of interactivity and visuals. There are plot twists, there is a boat that you get to captain across the seas and there is meta-commentary about the state of the video game...
News
7 Comments

Xbox One Playoff Face Off lets you predict NFL games for prizes

By Tracey Lien on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

The National Football League added a new feature to its Xbox One app today, allowing users to predict the results of matches in the season for the chance to win prizes. The Xbox One Playoff Face Off app allows users to answer up to 10 questions that predict upcoming player performances. The questions will be available each Tuesday before every round of live games, which includes the Playoffs, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl. Participants will be entered for a chance to win prizes like tickets to the Super Bowl XLVII or Super Bowl XVIX, an Xbox One console, autographed NFL merchandise, copies of Madden 25 for Xbox One and NFLshop.com gift cards. Users will also be able to earn Achievements through participating. Microsoft announced its Xbox One partnership with the NFL in May 2013, a...
News
12 Comments

FX animated sitcom 'Chozen' debuts a week early on Xbox One

By Samit Sarkar on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Chozen, the new FX animated comedy from the producers of HBO's Eastbound & Down and FX's Archer, will be available Jan. 6 exclusively on Xbox One, FX announced today on Xbox Wire. Xbox One owners will be able to watch the pilot of Chozen through the console's FXNow app, which requires a subscription to a cable television package that includes FX. The television premiere of Chozen is set for 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 13. Chozen focuses on the title character — a gay white gangsta rapper who was recently released from prison — and his journey to become the world's greatest rapper. Chozen is voiced by Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live), and the show also features the voice talents of actors, comedians and musicians such as Michael Peña (End of Watch), Hannibal Buress (Louie) and Method...
News
7 Comments

New hardware bringing sight-based interaction in mid-2014

By Dave Tach on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Eye tracking hardware from developer Tobii and peripheral manufacturer SteelSeries is slated for a mid-2014 release, according to a video released this week from both companies. Check out the video above to see Tobii's pitch for the eye tracking technology, whose possible uses include modifying a game's user interface and making enemy AI smarter. Based on your gaze, a feature a developer at Tobii calls "passive gaze triggers" could also allow you to pick up an item or convince in-game AI to begin speaking to you, rather than requiring a button press. The EyeX Engine dev kit, which allows programmers to develop for the upcoming hardware, is available for pre-order from Tobii for $95. At CES last year, Polygon took at look at Tobii technology, including a custom-built Minecraft demo....
News
82 Comments

Dec. 2013 Steam hardware survey shows Windows 8.1 adoption jump

By Samit Sarkar on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Adoption of Windows 8.1 saw a notable jump among Steam users during December 2013, according to Valve's most recent monthly hardware survey. The 64-bit version of Windows 7 remains the operating system that the majority of Steam users run, although just barely: The proportion dropped by 1 percentage point to 50.76 percent. The decrease in Windows 7 and 8 usage can likely be attributed to Windows users upgrading to Windows 8.1 — 8.53 percent of Steam users are now running the 64-bit version of Microsoft's latest operating system, a 2.42 percent increase over the November numbers. Microsoft released Windows 8.1 as a free download at the end of October. Meanwhile, Linux usage was back up in December to 1.07 percent after a drop during November from 1.06 percent to 0.98 percent (not...
News
38 Comments

Gabe Newell on hiring modders: official credentials have no 'predictive value'

By Alexa Ray Corriea on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

For Valve's Gabe Newell, a person's degree or list of credentials isn't always the best predictor of how successful an employee they will be, according to his recent interview with The Washington Post. In response to a question about the company's penchant for hiring mod makers, Newell said he believes "traditional credentialing" has little "predictive value" to how successful someone will be or what they can do with their skillset. "You can give ten people the same set of forum posts and only one of them will actually take it in a productive direction," Newell said. "So the fact that somebody has been able to build something and ship it and not get sort of bogged down and give up and then deal with the gush of responses you get, filter through that in a useful and productive way and...
7 Comments

Friends List: Is Duet game of the year?

By Michael Moore on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

This month, we'll be interviewing co-workers about the games they believe deserve the title of Game of the Year. Today on Friends List, Editor-at-Large Chris Plante asks Opinions Editor Ben Kuchera: Is the game of the year Duet? The episode will begin at 2 p.m. ET (or thereabouts!) and will be available via YouTube following the recording. While you wait you can watch the previous episode: Is The Stanley Parable game of the year? Enjoy Friends List anywhere, anytime: Bookmark the Friends List video page. Subscribe to the audio-only podcast: Friends List on iTunes. Download our theme song, "Hangout" by Tolecover.
News
10 Comments

SEC serves subpoena related to 38 Studios lawsuit

By Dave Tach on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission subpoenaed the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation in December for information related to its $75 million loan guarantee to 38 Studios, The Providence Journal reports. A pair of attorneys confirmed the subpoenas, which requested "depositions and exhibits related to the state's lawsuit against former ballplayer Curt Schilling," according to the publication. Shechtman Halperin Savage's Thomas E. Carlotto, general counsel for the RICC, said that the December subpoena was sent directly to Cohen & Gresser, a law firm that the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation hired in response to an SEC inquiry. Documents obtained last year by WPRI revealed the SEC's investigation and Cohen & Gresser's involvement. The former Economic Development Corporation, which...
Feature
12 Comments

Looking back: Watch Dogs: Invasion

By Polygon Staff on Jan 03, 2014 01.03.14

Michael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security, told the Associated Press in 2010, "I don't think there is another city in the U.S. that has as an extensive and integrated camera network as Chicago has.” He should know — he spent nearly $8 million on it. Or rather, the Department of Homeland Security did. Polygon has found estimates that suggest as many as 24,000 public and private cameras are now connected to the OEMC Operations Center at 1411 West Madison on Chicago's Near West Side, the same facility bought and paid for by Homeland Security in 2007. If there is a real ctOS in Chicago, then it lives in the "OC." If all these cameras were to record 1080p high-definition digital video for just one day, at 30 frames per second, they would capture more than 2.9 petabytes...
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